County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Durham 29th, 30th and 31st August and 1st September. Taunton.

This was the third match of 2024 in which the Kookaburra ball was used.

Archie Vaughan made his first-class debut at the age of eighteen.

Somerset. A.R.I. Umeed, L.P. Goldsworthy, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), A.M. Vaughan, K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M.J. Leach.

Durham. A.Z. Lees, B.S. McKinney, S.G. Borthwick (c), O.G. Robinson (w), A.J. Turner, B.F.W. de Leede, B.A. Carse, B.A. Raine, G.S. Drissell, C.F. Parkinson, D.M. Hogg.

Overnight. Somerset 492. Durham 272 for 6. Durham trail by 220 runs with four second innings wickets standing

Third day 31st August – Genius

This was as good a day of Championship cricket as you could hope to see. Attacking batting, defensive batting when it was needed, attacking spin bowling, attacking fielding, and some sparkling individual performances. It was a day of Somerset pushing towards a winning position and Durham resisting, sometimes with age-old methods of slowing the game down, their ambition, realistically, limited to a draw. The Somerset crowd played its part, as it always does, with applause, cheers and encouragement accompanying their team every step of the way. Play began in sunshine, continued under thickening cloud, was stopped by bad light, and ended with a fizzing twist in the tail.

For Durham, Ben Raine continued his overnight 51 with two boundaries from successive Craig Overton deliveries, one pulled over the midwicket fielder, the other barely missing the stumps off the inside edge. But a defensive prod to a ball from Jack Leach that might have been left, saw him caught by Overton at slip. As the crowd let forth a relieved cheer, Raine slammed the face of his bat into the ground. It was the end of a 117-run seventh-wicket partnership with Brydon Carse which had dragged Durham back from the depths of a 322-run deficit with only four first innings wickets remaining. Durham 287 for 7. Raine 62. Deficit 205.

George Drissell joined Carse, and Durham went on the defensive. Somerset shuffled Overton, Leach and Kasey Aldridge, switching Leach to the Trescothick Pavilion End in the process. Seven overs brought just eight runs as Durham clung on. Then, Drissell cut Aldridge, bowling from the River End, through backward point to the Ondaatje Stand for four before a lifting ball from Aldridge forced him to fend it straight to Tom Banton at short leg. Durham 303 for 8. Drissell 8. Deficit 189. The new batter, Daniel Hogg had already edged Leach just short of slip when he was forced to play a ball from Aldridge which pitched on that probing line a shade outside off stump and edged it to James Rew. “That moved,” someone said as cheers erupted. Indeed, it had moved. It cut in and would have hit the off stump had Hogg not played it. It was the perfect ball to a lower order batter. Aldridge, purveying that whiff of extra pace and bounce, was in the groove. Durham 305 for 9. Hogg 0. Deficit 187.

The morning had begun with relaxed chatter in the crowd, small by Taunton standards, but it was now fully engaged, with tension rising as Somerset made headway. Would Somerset enforce the follow-on the question on some lips? But the Durham innings was not over. Carse, now on 72, pushed back. He lofted Leach straight onto the terrace at the top of the Trescothick Pavilion, then took a single to keep the strike. In Leach’s next over, he first kept the ball out, then swept it fine towards the Colin Atkinson Pavilion for another single and retained the strike again. Now, he turned the tables on Aldridge. In four balls, two runs were pulled in front of square towards the Garner Gates, an attempted hook sent a top edge looping towards fine leg where Archie Vaughan, fielding in front of Gimblett’s Hill, was defeated by the spin induced by the edge and failed to claw the ball back. The next ball was pulled, or helped, so understated was the stroke, into the old Legend’s Square for six. From there, it bounced on towards the Brian Rose Gates and ricocheted through the narrow gap in the wall into the car park under the flats from where one, no doubt surprised, resident returned it..

With one ball of the over remaining, and 13 runs needed to avoid the follow-on, the expectation was of another single. But Carse was on 98. Aldridge dropped short, Carse walked down the wicket and smacked, a more accurate description for the stroke than pulled, over long on to the Hildreth Stand for another six and his century. It brought generous applause, including from the Somerset players, but one spectator asked, “Why did he do that?” for Callum Parkinson would now be exposed to a full Leach over. It was enough. He came forward to the first ball and pushed it straight to Banton at silly point. Durham 336. Carse 104 not out. Parkinson 0. Deficit 156. It was Somerset’s opening batters though who ran from the field rather than their bowlers. Somerset would bat again with about three quarters of an hour to play before lunch.

Andy Umeed batted as if on a mission, clearly looking for balls to hit, while Lewis Goldsworthy kept the other end secure. Umeed’s first ball, from Raine, was driven square to the Somerset Stand. Parkinson, Durham opening with spin, was launched into the Lord Ian Botham Stand, spectators in one of the boxes ducking and shielding their heads as the ball landed among them. Raine and George Drissell, who replaced him at the Trescothick Pavilion End, were both pulled for four. But an attempt to loft Parkinson into the Lord Ian Botham Stand for another six was caught a foot or so inside the rope by Drissell. Somerset 37 for 1 in the tenth over. Umeed 28 from 31 balls. Lead 193. “Just before lunch,” someone said, but it seemed clear that Umeed had been sent out to set a marker for an aggressive Somerset innings that would leave sufficient time to bowl Durham out a second time. Somerset 41 for 1 at lunch.

We were back on the outfield again in the lunch interval. As I stood inspecting the pitch, I chatted. It is what people do on the outfield. More than one person expressed concern about the size of the crowd despite the schools still being on holiday. Saturday though is not necessarily a good day for families in an age when both parents tend to work. It is often household management day when shopping is done, washing sorted, cars washed, and the garden tended. For those of us there, it was very pleasant to be back on the outfield for the second day in succession, a gentle amble the preferred speed of circulation of most.

There was discussion of the cricket of course, but there was still comment about the distance we were expected to stay from the cut square after decades of being able to approach right up to it. The removal of several dozen large photographs of Somerset players stretching from the 1940s into the current millennium from behind the Somerset Stand still caused anger, although some were assuaged by the assurance given at the last members’ Q&A that the photographs were in storage and that the decision will be reviewed. But, ‘the times they are a-changin’ as Bob Dylan had it. County cricket finances are extremely tight, Somerset are competing with clubs several times their size, and difficult choices have to be made. But those with decades of their lives invested in Somerset cricket remained heavily committed to its heritage, its traditions and what they feel is its soul. They are resistant to changes which they see as undermining those things.

Back in the Trescothick Pavilion for the afternoon session, or to be precise, two overs late for the afternoon session, it soon became clear that Tom Lammonby was picking up where Umeed had left off. He targeted Parkinson’s slow left arm spin in particular. Successive fours were driven through the on side to the Priory Bridge Road boundary, “Well done Lammers!” the shout after the second, and 11 runs came from the over. In Parkinson’s next over, an edge bisected the keeper and slip, “Slip should have caught that,” the comment as neither keeper nor slip moved, and seven came from the over. Six from Parkinson’s next over with Lammonby pulling another four to the Caddick Pavilion took Somerset to 74 for 1 in the 18th over, a lead of 230 half an hour into the session. There was a real buzz at Somerset moving the game on, increasing the pressure on Durham, and working to position themselves to win the match.

Now Goldsworthy, who had continued to keep an end secure and 15 not out from 59 balls, joined Lammonby in driving Somerset’s acceleration, Parkinson the initial target. He was lofted over long on to within a yard of the Garner Gates boundary and seven came from the over. Carse was driven square to the Caddick Pavilion, nine from the over and the fifty partnership passed in 11 overs. Another four for Lammonby in Parkinson’s next over was driven smoothly through the covers to the Somerset Stand in classic Lammonby style, six runs from the over. Then, with Somerset in full flow, George Drissell, bowling off spin with two slips and a short leg, replaced Carse and, perhaps inevitably given the speed at which Somerset were scoring, broke through. His third ball, pitched on the left-handed Lammonby’s middle stump, turned beautifully past the defensive outside edge and hit the off stump. Somerset 100 for 2 in the 23rd over. Lammonby 36 from 34 balls. It had been risky batting, but the sense of purpose it brought to Somerset’s innings gave everyone a lift and Somerset led by 256. That Lammonby had been out to a turning ball just added to a growing sense of optimism in the Somerset chatter.

The mood of the Somerset crowd was encapsulated in one man’s reaction to Tom Abell’s third ball. Abell had already driven his first, from Drissell, through midwicket for two. Now, he drove through mid-off to Gimblett’s Hill. “Four!” shouted the man jumping to his feet, looking over the Trescothick parapet, and clapping vigorously among the cheers. Then, “Shot!” when Abell drove Parkinson through straight midwicket to the Garner Gates. But Durham were still fighting, and Drissell and Parkinson tried to assert some control. Parkinson began to bowl very wide of off stump, especially to Abell and just five singles came from five overs. But then, with Somerset 275 ahead, the onslaught resumed. Seventeen runs came from 15 balls, each batter sweeping for four and Abell pulling Parkinson from wide of off stump to the Somerset Stand. It meant though more risk against the turning ball and this time it was Goldsworthy who succumbed. An attempted straight drive to a Parkinson delivery which floated in, pitched on off, and turned away was caught behind, Goldsworthy 38 for the second time in the match. Somerset 136 for 3. Lead 282.

With optimism and the level of chatter rising at the burgeoning lead and the nature of the batting that was driving it, Tom Banton joined Abell, the floodlights came on, and someone returned from the Stragglers with a cup of tea for a friend with the comment, “I’ve taken the tea bag out. No cake.” Such are the occasional non-cricketing priorities among the crowd at a Championship match. In the middle, Durham’s priority was now delay. The use of the Kookaburra ball in some Championship matches in part to encourage the use of spinners had led to an unintended consequence. With the use of spinners increasing exponentially, bowling sides had found themselves so far ahead of the required over rate that they could slow the game with impunity.

Durham now developed delay into an art form. Players changed ends as if playing tortoises in a pantomime. Bowlers seemed unable to function without Robinson, the head tortoise, issuing detailed instructions after walking the length of the pitch like a tortoise stuck in first gear. Sometimes, Robinson would carefully brief a slip fielder, including on the use of first gear, who would then walk the length of the pitch to issue detailed instructions to the bowler. In fact, they tried every possible delaying tactic, except perhaps sending a player to the Stragglers to collect tea. Perhaps the lack of cake deterred them. In an echo of a bygone age, someone started a slow handclap, picked up by a few others. It had no more effect than I remember it having 60 years before.

Banton had a different view of the world. Abell supplied him with the strike and, in what appeared to be a pre-ordained response, he tore into Drissell and Parkinson. In two overs, 19 runs came. Drissell was slog swept, and Parkinson reverse swept twice, all for four. In Drissell’s next over, the first ball was driven straight into the lower level of the Trescothick Pavilion and the second hit the sight screen on the full, 14 from the over. In Parkinson’s next two overs, Banton slog swept to the Somerset Stand and drove to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion, both for six. It was a perfect demonstration of calculated, controlled hitting. Abell swept to the Somerset Stand for four to a shout of, “Hooray!” Twenty-one runs came from the two overs and the fifty partnership was passed in 39 balls with a single from Banton off Carse, brought on at the Trescothick Pavilion End to relieve the beleaguered Drissell.

Eventually, Banton made one calculation too many. Carse bowled a yard wide of off stump, Banton drove, the ball swung away, looped high off the bat, and was caught by Drissell running from mid-off to extra cover. Somerset 197 for 4. Banton 46 from 28 balls. Lead 353. Partnership 61 in 51 balls. Banton was gone but the Durham celebration was muted. It had been a devastating innings. With a lead of over 350, the ball turning, and Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan in their side, Somerset stood astride the match and those applauding Banton as he walked off knew it. Then, under darkening skies and an occasional spot of drizzle, tea was taken with Somerset on 209 for 4 after 42 overs, the lead now 365, James Rew having joined Tom Abell. “Well played boys!” the shout through the applause as the players walked off.

After tea, Somerset continued in the same vein, taking risks, scoring runs and losing another wicket. Abell went to his fifty in two minutes under an hour and a half with a four driven through extra cover to the Gimblett’s Hill scoreboard. But then he was tucked up and caught by Robinson off the inside edge shaping to steer a ball from Bas de Leede’s medium pace which may have cut in off the pitch. Somerset 228 for 5. Abell 56 from 75 balls. Lead 384. Rew continued to attack, Parkinson was reverse swept to the Brian Rose gates boundary for six, a steward quickly retrieving the ball and returning it to a fielder. De Leede was pulled to the Somerset Stand for four and a 400-run lead was reached with a single off Parkinson, driven by Archie Vaughan who had picked up the baton from Abell.

Vaughan, young though he was, and slight, if tall, lofted Parkinson over long on for six, the ball having to be retrieved from behind the floodlight between the Hildreth and Lord Ian Botham Stands. “Well done, Archie!” the shout. Then, a hopeful, “There’s a bit of turn,” as Vaughan was beaten just before the players, in increasing gloom, went off for bad light with Somerset on 263 for 5 after 52 overs, with Rew on 33 from 25 balls and Vaughan on 16 from 24. Lead 419. With the weather looking set, the crowd began to exit the ground. Within a quarter of an hour, there were less than a hundred people visible in the stands with more drifting away. With no sign that the light might improve, and a long wait for a bus, I was offered a lift home.

“They are about to start,” the shout as I walked through the front door. We have a smart television, a 21st-century necessity apparently. It has its uses. That you can watch the Somerset live stream on it being one. “Innings break,” said the caption. It took a couple of seconds for the implication of that to sink in. Somerset had declared and set Durham 420 to win. “I would have done what Gregory has done, and declared,” said the text from another online watcher. “Sitting in my armchair that is. Whether I would have had the nerve from the dressing room is unlikely.”

The dividends of the decision for Somerset were immediate. With the light too poor for pace, Somerset began with Leach and Vaughan. The first ball of the second over, bowled by Vaughan from the Trescothick Pavilion End, was cut by Lees and ran between point and cover. Abell ran from cover, scooped up the ball, retaining his balance with an upward leap. Lees and Ben McKinney had set off for a single. When they saw Abell closing in, each hesitated, then continued. The hesitation was enough. Abell’s throw landed perfectly in Rew’s gloves, the bails were off in an instant and the umpire’s finger signalled the departure of McKinney. “Yes!” the shriek which exploded in my lounge. Durham 1 for 1. McKinney 0. Runs required 419. It was an electrifying way for Gregory’s decision to be vindicated and the momentum, which had flowed Somerset’s way all afternoon, was now in full flood.

Now, Leach and Vaughan, slow left arm and off spin, looked as calm as if they were having a gentle net. They probed and harried, questioning the batters’ technique and nerve, giving nothing away. Durham were under siege. Steve Borthwick, replacing McKinney, was subject to a huge leg before wicket appeal and beaten before Vaughan’s over was out. Lees took a single off the second ball of Leach’s next over and Leach beat Borthwick twice. Once, the ball turned and bounced, beating bat and keeper for four byes. It was Durham’s most productive ball of the evening. Two more overs begrudgingly conceded two runs before the batters took five singles in an over from Vaughan. Two of those singles though came off the edge and one was mishit. You could have cut the tension in my lounge with a knife, and the silence from the four of us gathered there as each ball was bowled was absolute.

Somerset were caging the batters with three, then four close catchers while the bowlers tormented them with floating, turning deliveries. One run the batters squeezed out of the next three overs before Leach turned a ball into Lees who played it across Overton at leg gully. Overton, another exceptional catch, plucked it from the air as it flew past his right shin. Durham 15 for 2. Lees 6. Runs required 405. A ball later, Vaughan angled a ball into Borthwick, straightened it, it went past the defensive edge and hit the off stump. Borthwick looked down at the pitch as if looking for the demon which had unseated him, but Vaughan was now celebrating with the rest of his team. Durham 15 for 3. Borthwick 4. Three overs remained. Not a run was scored and bats were beaten, but Drissell and Parkinson, sent out to protect what remained of Durham’s top order, survived until the close and I sank into my armchair startled at what I had seen.

“Gregory’s decision. Genius,” said the text.

Close. Somerset 492 and 263 for 5 dec (T.B. Abell 56, T. Banton 46). Durham 336 (B.A. Carse 104*, B.A. Raine 62, A.Z. Lees 59, M.J. Leach 5-124) and 15 for 3. Durham need a further 405 runs to win with seven wickets standing.